A Kitsune's Promise
by GlitchWarrior
Summary: The massacre of the wolfskins, along with Sophie's death, shakes the foundation of the army of Hoshido; Silas becomes reclusive, while Dwyer takes up Avel as his own responsibility. But Kaden is the most affected of all, and the events of the past week are about to come back and bite him in the tail... (Birthright AU, with bits of other games.)
1. Chapter 1

Silence. The world had gone entirely quiet for a moment.

Then, a piercing roar.

Silas stared at Sophie's body, his eyes dripping with sorrow. Nohr would pay; they would HAVE to.

They had taken his daughter.

* * *

The castle in the Deeprealms had been silent since the battle at Palace Macarath. None of the Hoshidan army had spoken to Silas since that day; not even Mozu, who, like her husband, had been grieving Sophie's loss. However, she had not gone to HIS extremes.

The entire Nohrian army there was dead. And it was by Silas' hand that most of them had fallen. Felicia had almost seen him go entirely to Hell and back on a simple archer.

And yet, through all of this, nobody tried to comfort him.

Nobody, that is, except a certain Kitsune who happened to be passing by.

Kaden hadn't thought much of the Silas situation, so he didn't expect to hear Silas moping around in his room. The fox had been thinking about his own awesomeness when he realized that sometimes, things could happen that WEREN'T so awesome. He approached the paladin, thinking long and hard about his words, before speaking.

"Hey, Si."

Silas didn't even turn to face Kaden, instead opting to let out a frustrated "Go away." It was clear he wasn't in the mood for conversation. Kaden, on the other hand, was.

"That's no way to greet a friend, dude!" he pointed out. "Come on, what's eating you?"

"I said, GO AWAY!" Silas said, this time raising his voice. He shoved Kaden- very uncharacteristic of Silas, if you were to ask anybody else.

"I'm concerned, Silas. I'm asking what's wrong!"

"And I say," Silas shouted, "that you SHOULDN'T CARE. Now BEAT IT!"

Kaden fell back, startled. Silas was odd sometimes, but this wasn't the same Silas he'd grown to know. He was very puzzled.

"Look, I don't want to bug you-"

"So DON'T!" Silas said. He punched his attempted comforter in the face, knocking him back for a moment.

Kaden didn't understand what was up with his _pal-_ adin buddy, but he realized he should probably take a walk and find out about the problem. He eventually decided to drop by the "statue garden" Sakura had planned out, just to check it out. He had a nice bronze carving of himself in there, after all, and he stopped in every day to say "hello, gorgeous" to the statue.

What he didn't expect was his own DAUGHTER standing in front of another statue, that of Silas' daughter, Sophie. Selkie touched the statue's hand, as if it were Sophie's own, and muttered something under her breath. She seemed to be crying? That was far different from the cheery, upbeat Selkie his wife had concieved.

"Hey, precious," Kaden said, silently. "Fleas in your fur?"

"N... No," came Selkie's response. It was slow and tearful, which, as stated already, was SO out of character from his daughter.

"I'm guessing something happened to Sophie while I was out on break?" Kaden asked. "If she needs help, then I'd be happy to-"

"She's dead, Daddy."

Kaden's tail stopped wagging. He realized what all of this meant. Had he expected this? No. But now, Selkie's tears and Silas' violent mood swings all made sense. The castle's normally upbeat feel was now silent, and he understood PERFECTLY why.

"Yo, Selk," came Asugi's voice from the entrance to the garden. As Selkie's cousin, the two fought together quite often; not as much as Selkie with her own brother, but often enough that the pair had become accustomed to each other's fighting style. "Hey, what's going on? Soph's down?"

"More than down, Asugi," Kaden told his sweet-toothed nephew. He, by now, had understood the mood change in the castle, but he was still trying to stay optimistic.

"Bummer," Asugi said. "You two look really burned out by it. Hey, how about a snack to cheer you up?"

He opened a pouch filled with cinnamon rolls; how they had not been crushed would forever be a mystery that only Asugi knew the answer to. The pair of father and daughter took one look at the rolls, and realized that, even in these troubling times, light could always shine through.

And sometimes, this light came in the form of cinnamon rolls.


	2. Chapter 2

Foxes and Wolves

Nobody had spoken to Silas since Palace Macarath, when Sophie had fallen. Meanwhile, Kaden and Dwyer had taken turns tending to Avel within that time, after fond recollection that every horse deserves a rider. What Kaden hadn't expected was Silas' wife, the country villager named Mozu, coming over to ask about him.

"That's my Sophie's horse, right?" she asked the ginger-blonde kitsune.

"Yeah," Kaden said, somewhat down from the mood. "Or, at least, it was..."

Mozu thought hard to herself. "Listen... I've been thinking, if my little girl isn't riding Avel anymore, someone has to."

"To every horse," Kaden said, reminding himself, "a rider, and to every rider, a horse. And Dwyer is kind of borrowing him until he gets a new rider..."

"So I was going to teach myself a bit of horseback."

"What?" Kaden asked. "I'm sorry, I just didn't realize..."

"Don't fret, Kaden," Mozu told him. "I've been watching Silas for a while now, and I'd say it really helps." She began to walk away. "So, whaddya say? Should I break out a partner seal?"

Kaden smiled. "Uh, rod shop's that way, Mozu."

Mozu stopped short. "Oh, yeah, right. I knew that."

Kaden chuckled as the country girl ran off. She was almost as cute as Corrin sometimes. Perhaps he should invite Mozu over once the problems with her husband blew off...

* * *

Later, Kaden decided to climb Mount Garou himself to give a formal apology to the wolfskins, based on what had happened last week. He had heard that some Nohrian mages had tricked them into thinking that the Hoshido army was the bad guys, and he figured he'd best see the new pack leader, since the last one was killed in self-defense.

What the fox hadn't expected was to see a feminine figure, with sharp canine ears, cradling a child.

"Who's that?" Kaden asked carefully, trying hard not to startle the woman.

She still fell back, clutching a beaststone worn around her neck. "Wh... Who sent you?" she asked. "I'll... I'll kill you in cold blood if I'm able! Don't touch my daughter, Hoshidan!"

"Whoa, whoa, calm down," Kaden began. "I'm not here to hurt you or your kid, I just wanted to say... I'm sorry." He sighed. "For killing most of your pack."

"That doesn't sound like something you can just apologize for," the wolfskin said uneasily. "Our alpha and my mate, Keaton, was killed in that battle... I'm just trying to find a place for our daughter..." She stood up, only to stumble. Kaden realized that she had bandages coating her waist. "Besides," she said, "you're the one who did this to me. Cut me, killed my Keaton..."

"I said I was sorry," Kaden apologized again. "I... We didn't set that mine. We originally wanted to pass through peacefully, and then those darn Nohrians planted that mine..."

"Nohrians?" asked the woman. "Why, I should have known! Their king is becoming more and more dominant since years past; mind you, I don't get out much, but every time I leave the village, Garon is a worse man..."

"Then we may need you and your daughter's help."

"What?" asked the elder female. "I can't fight anymore with a wound like this, and my darling Velouria is just a child..."

"There's always the Deeprealms," Kaden told her. "Don't worry, I'll take good care of her. She'll be kinda like a third kid for me..." As he said those words, he realized that it was already a handful to keep just Kana and Selkie out of trouble. Imagine being a kitsune raising a wolfskin as a daughter...

The wolfskin finally nodded in agreement. "Alright, you have my word," she said. "Just make sure my dear makes it home in one piece..."

"I will, ma'am," Kaden promised.

And when Kaden made a promise, he never, EVER, broke it.

* * *

"What?"

Corrin had just heard the news. "I can't believe this... we're adopting a wolfskin?"

"I apologized to the alpha's girl," Kaden explained, "and this is what happened! She knows the wolfskin camp is dangerous now, and that her daughter wouldn't be safe. The Nohrians are probably going to slaughter the rest of the pack, so saving one is a really good thing, right?"

"But still... I can't believe it..." The dragon-blooded princess walked over to the window. "I'm already a mom to an energetic boy who always turns into a dragon and a playful daughter who thinks war is a game. What am I going to do with a _wolfskin?"_

"You could always teach her to be calm."

"That's rich coming from you."

Kaden decided to drop the argument. His wife was, after all, the middle child of the Hoshido royal family. Any further problems would just cause more trouble for the kitsune along the road. However, there was still Velouria to handle, and Kaden felt like it was his responsibility to raise her- Keaton's blood HAD been on his paws, after all.

"I'll raise her myself," Kaden said, trying to compromise, "if you take care of the other two."

"Where's this coming from?" asked Corrin, confused. "I'm not 100% on board with raising her, but that doesn't mean we should divide up our kids over it! Maybe we should put her up for adoption..."

"I made a promise to Velouria's mother," Kaden said, firmly. "I told her that I would raise her child. And you know my policy when it comes to making a promise..."

Corrin smiled. "Oh, alright," she said. "We can keep her. Seriously, once you put your mind to something..."

Kaden smiled, and got up. All that was left to do was leave the child in the Deeprealms and visit her every so often to make sure she didn't get herself killed.

"You're a kind woman," he told his wife.

"I get that a lot."

* * *

Fifteen (Deeprealm) years later, the wolfskin had developed into a respectable young lass. She happened to decide to pick acorns to find the shiniest one for her father. He always had liked shiny things- including himself- and when he visited, he always made sure Velouria had been extra good. However, her habit of collecting had seemed to deter him quite a bit- her playspace was always a mess, which he never seemed to approve of. Sometimes she wished she had a father who was more like herself.

On this fine day, she happened to pick up her father's scent. Along with those of eleven other people. She saw a small... line... in the middle of the open field? It almost seemed to open up. Maybe her daddy was on the other side! Perhaps she wouldn't have to wait much longer to see him, after all!

* * *

Unfortunately for Kaden, his group had been ambushed on the way. The invaders swung at the group, inflicting damage that seemed to be quite heavy, even for a war.

One of the raiders rose his bow to shoot the ginger kitsune, but at the last second, felt something scratching at his chest. He looked down to see another, smaller kitsune... who promptly leapt on him, crushing his neck.

"Daddy," Selkie said energetically, "this is probably one of our better days!"

"Yeah, yeah," Kaden said, beginning to exhaust from blood loss. He fell to his knees, almost ready to give in.

Luckily for him, the sound of Avel's hooves wasn't far off. The butler-in-training stopped by Kaden, and rose his staff. Within seconds, Kaden's wounds had sealed.

"Thanks a lot, Dwyer," Kaden said. "I see Avel's listening to you pretty well."

"It feels a little wrong," Dwyer said. "I'm used to Sophie riding ahead, not me rushing around on her horse..."

"We all miss Sophie," Selkie said, still on top of the cliff from which the archer had once stood. "She was like the driving muscle of our army..."

"Then what does that make me?" asked Takumi, who was sniping enemies from Scarlet and Ryoma's sides.

"You're still strong," Kana said sadly, "but Sophie was one of the best, Uncle Takumi. I don't know if we can ever replace her..."

An arrow whizzed past Saizo's face. "We're all going to need replaced if we don't fight back," he called. "Lord Ryoma, your orders?"

Ryoma slashed at another invader. "Just hold out as long as you can," he yelled.

Kaden sighed, but then, he smelled something that made his tail stand up straight...

...muddy wolf fur.

Also known as _Velouria's_ fur.

He sighed. _If I die here,_ he said, _I'm going to give Keaton a formal apology._


	3. Chapter 3

Zombies and Necromancy

I needn't stretch the fact that Silas was virtually shattered at Macarath. It was no surprise that, in the Village of the Ice Tribe, that he didn't show. Now, the army of Hoshido was readying a march through the Woods of the Forlorn, and everybody expected Silas to remain at the castle then, as well.

Hayato opened the door of the Dawn Armory as he left, only to find the depressed paladin leaning against the wall. He turned to Silas, then carefully spoke.

"Nice day, huh?"

Silas didn't answer that. Instead, he had a question of his own.

"Where's your daughter?"

Hayato stepped back. "What? Rhajat? Why? There's no reason wh-"

"Where's your daughter, Hayato?" Silas asked louder.

The diviner shuddered. This was NOT going to end well.

* * *

Kaden had really gotten more than he'd bargained for when he'd agreed to raise Velouria as his own. He already had two wild children, and a third just complicated things more. Not to say he didn't love her, though- he'd grown rather fond of her, at times forgetting that she wasn't even his child by birth.

Of course Selkie and Kana asked questions. They didn't know why they had a wolfskin for a sister. But it didn't matter, because, at the end of the day, they were siblings nonetheless. And they all got along VERY well. They were a family of five, Kaden, Corrin, Kana, Velouria, and Selkie. So what if one of them was a little off?

The family was happy. But unfortunately, happiness has a few bumps in the road, some that can knock you off of it altogether. Our true story begins as Kana is heading to Macarath to hone his dragonstone prowess. But first, we should look at the reason Kana chose the palace in the first place.

For one, it was usually deserted, save a few bandits who occasionally tried to raid what was left of the place. Second, it was surprisingly open, making Kana's transformations here totally unobstructed. Third, and seemingly most importantly, it was to honor Sophie- she'd died there, so Kana had lately come to pay respect as well as train.

Kana had a sword at his side, but he was silent about it. Dragons have a tendency to flounder in combat against magicians, so he needed a failsafe for if mages were around. He also needed to be wary of dragonspears and wyrmslayers, weapons that he loathed to deal with, dragon blood in his veins and all.

However, he was ready this time. The sword he'd crafted was named Draconis- named for his draconic preference, but also because it bit like a dragon itself. Draconis was a mighty weapon, forged from sixteen katanas of steel. Kana felt at home wielding the blade in addition to his dragonstone. He was fully prepared... or so he thought.

* * *

Onto the real story... Kana arrives at Macarath like usual. He expects to find a group of bandits to fight off, or invaders to drive back to their own world. Instead he finds two figures- Silas and Rhajat- setting a body on the floor. Why would Silas be here with Rhajat, anyway?

The body, as Kana quickly realizes, is Sophie. Strange that, even in death, she seems as fit as ever. Kana sighs. He misses her. It's becoming clear by now that it's hard for people to move on from this.

Though, then again, the presence of Rhajat is suspicious. She never was one to hang out with anyone, merely drawing a tense obsession to his mother. The fact that she and Silas are seemingly alone startles Kana. He slips behind a pillar, clutching Draconis by the hilt.

"So," Rhajat says, "are you sure you want me to do this? I've only tried it on birds and the like, and failed all but once- the bodies were just gone. And even when I succeeded-"

"If there's even a small chance," Silas decides, "then yes. I have to see it."

Kana shudders. Something is WRONG. Very wrong.

Rhajat sighs and lowers her hands over Sophie's body. They begin to glow a dark purple color. The violet mist begins to flow into Sophie's body, like a tether. Rhajat moves the other end of the tether and sets it in front of Silas.

"Grab it," she tells him. "The ritual requires some sort of sacrifice."

Without another word, Silas grabs the tether. It seems to be sapping his energy and giving it to the corpse. Kana steps back, frightened.

Silas grunts. "I... I don't know how much longer I can last..."

Rhajat smirks. "Just a tad longer," she says. "It's almost complete."

Silas passes out, dropping the cord. Rhajat, though, grins, and whispers in his direction- "Well done." She hunches over the body and looks at Sophie's closed eyelids. She lets out a hoarse cackle, then mutters a very audible word in Sophie's direction.

"Arise."

The body's eyelids open. The eyes of the reanimated corpse are pitch black, with white irises, and its complexion is eerily pale. The same dark mist that made the tether is emanating from it. The body begins to move, eventually pulling itself upright. It then opens its mouth to speak, in a voice that sounds otherworldly.

"Where... am I?" is the corpse's first sentence.

Silas hugs Sophie's reanimated body. "Oh, Sophie," he begins. "I'm never losing you again..."

Kana shudders. Necromancy? And here he'd thought that things couldn't get any weirder.

"I know, Daddy..." comes Sophie's reply. "Because you won't be able to."

"Wha-"

"Cheese it!" Rhajat mumbles, before running off undetected. Sophie, meanwhile, draws the sword that had been laid on her body, and cuts down her father with it. She breathes into the wound, and Silas wakes up, as pale and dark-eyed as his daughter.

"Sophie..." Silas mumbles, "you didn't-"

"Now we're both going to be here forever, Daddy. We won't die. The world may burn, but you and I will live together, forever. Isn't that what you wanted, Daddy?"

Kana turns to run, but trips on the carpet, making a loud crash that upsets the two magical zombies. Sophie stands up. "Huh, it seems we've a visitor."

The young dragon-kitsune begins to think fast. He could continue to run, but he'd probably be followed. He couldn't send for help. He could stand his ground and fight, but it only took one strike from Sophie's sword to end Silas, so she's more than likely become more powerful than anything the boy had ever seen- his adoptive aunt, included, and she was a BEAST. He only had one potential ally at the time, and she was nowhere to be seen.

"Kana?"

The boy turns around, and is startled to see Sophie's blank stare looking back at him. He begins to crawl backwards. "D... Don't hurt me!"

"I wasn't going to, Kana," Sophie says. "Not for longer than a few seconds, anyway."

She draws her sword. "Don't fear, Kana," she says. "When this is over, you and I will live forever, _together._ "

Kana rolls just in time to avoid the sword strike. "Huh, tough love?" He'd been spending too much time with his father- he'd begun to pick up his propensity for short quips. "Listen, Sophe, I'm already going to be here a lot longer than Mama and Velouria will, I'll be able to spend a lot of time with you, but forever's a bit much..."

"Ah, yes," Sophie says, "Kitsune aging. You must have been in the Deeprealms for far longer than I was, and the same can be said for your sis- hold on, who's Velouria?"

Kana stands up. "I might have to introduce you later," he says. "For now, I've gotta run."

He turns to the palace gates, and makes a mad dash for them. He reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a golden seal and a beaststone he held onto, as a trinket for his family.

"I'm gonna need Papa's speed to get outta this... HEART SEAL!"

He throws the seal into the air, and it shatters, bathing him in a bright light. When it clears, he's now wearing a blue tunic, and his tail is visible from within.

"Alright, Papa, please tell me we're as fast as you say we are..."

Kana runs, and leaps into the air clutching the beaststone. It transforms him into a fox-like form, and he starts running on all-fours.

"Gee, Papa," he mutters, "you said fast, you meant it!"

He rounds a corner, and spots Rhajat hiding. He turns his head, not stopping his dash for an instant.

"Follow me!" shouts the kitsune. Rhajat shrugs and follows Kana, having not known in the first place that he was in the building. The two rush out, desperately trying to lose Sophie.

"Deeprealm gate..." Kana says, "Where are you?"

He finally spots it, and turns to the necromancer. "When I say jump, okay?"

The pair comes up on it. "JUMP!" shouts Kana. Rhajat obeys, and both of them leap through the gate as it closes.

Sophie stops at the clearing. "Drat... They're gone. But it's not over. I'm not done until they all join me. Their souls will prove a valuable asset to my cause."

She draws her sword. "It's MY world, now. And it looks like I have some unfinished business with Lady Corrin and her army..."

* * *

Kaden saw Rhajat and Kana fly through the castle window.

"Rhajat? Kana?" He was concerned that his son would be with a crazy sorceress while going through a window, and also concerned that he had used the Heart Seal- he'd decided not to, unless in emergencies. "What happened?"

Kana grunted in pain, before saying a single word.

"...Sophie."


End file.
